Whale Found on Bow of Zaandam in Alaska

Work is being carried out to investigate what killed a juvenile fin whale discovered on bow of a cruise ship entering an Alaskan port.

The cause of death wasn't apparent for the endangered whale that was spotted just after 5 a.m. local time on Sunday, May 29 on the bulbous bow of Holland America ship ms Zaandam as it prepared to dock in Seward, Alaska.

A spokeswoman for the fisheries section of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Julie Speegle, told the Associated Press that the whale was towed to a beach close to Seward. The death may not have been the result of a ship strike, she said, as it could have been already dead in the water.

According to the line, Holland America has a comprehensive programme to avoid striking whales and was not aware of whales in the area.